Discover Australia

With vast expanses of “Outback”, enviable stretches of coastline and hip modern cities, Australia is an island nation situated between the waters of the Indian, Tasman, Coral and South Pacific Oceans. Most of its population is clustered along the eastern and southeastern coasts in iconic cities like Sydney, renowned for its Opera House and Harbour Bridge, as well as Melbourne with its famous lane way culture.

The artistic hub of Adelaide lies in the central south, with Perth hugging the far southwest and Hobart lying isolated at the bottom of the country on the island of Tasmania. Sultry Darwin is the main center in the Northern Territory, along with the Red Centre settlement of Alice Springs, while Cairns and Brisbane are the most popular tourist hubs in Queensland. Canberra is the nation’s capital, situated in its own “territory” between Sydney and Melbourne and home to many of Australia’s national museums and galleries.

Australia is famed for its Great Barrier Reef, which stretches more than 2,000 kilometers along the northeast coast of Queensland. Explore its pristine coral gardens and marine life while snorkeling, scuba diving or by glass-bottom boat and relax on the idyllic islands of the Whitsundays. In the far north of Queensland lie the pristine forests of Cape Tribulation and the Daintree National Park, which have made a name for their eco-tourism activities and lodges, as well as the Torres Strait Islands with their rich indigenous culture.

The Northern Territory is home to one of Australia’s most famous national parks - Kakadu - where immense sandstone escarpments and towering waterfalls meet billabongs teeming with birdlife and ancient indigenous rock art sites. Further south stands the towering monolith of Uluru in the heart of the Red Centre and the dramatic landscapes of King’s Canyon and Kata Tjuta. To the west stretches the Savannah Way, which weaves through the spectacular Kimberley region to the coastal town of Broome.

Western Australia is known for its vast wilderness areas and the Ningaloo Reef where whale sharks can be seen, together with the wineries and surfing beaches of Margaret River. To the east lies South Australia, centered on the festival city of Adelaide, with world-renowned wine growing regions such as the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Victoria hugs the southeastern corner of Australia, with a fascinating gold mining history in its charismatic towns and village, while New South Wales’ beaches and hinterland offer plenty of opportunities to venture outside of the capital Sydney.

Make the journey south to the island state of Tasmania where breathtaking hikes take you through World Heritage-listed wilderness areas and one of Australia’s most cutting-edge modern art galleries can be found. Other islands worth visiting include magnificent Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia, known for its untouched tropical forests, diving and surfing, and Kangaroo Island that hangs off the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. Spot seals, penguins and koalas in its national parks or head to Rottnest Island near Perth that is famed for its secluded coves and native quokkas. 

Australia's distances are genuinely vast -- Sydney to Perth is further than London to Moscow -- so domestic flights are the standard way to cover long distances, with Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar connecting every major city frequently and affordably by international standards.

A car is the best way to explore beyond the cities, and often the only way to reach smaller towns and national parks -- distances between destinations are still substantial, so factor in real driving time (and fuel stops) rather than judging distance by how it looks on a map. Renting a 4WD is worth it for genuine outback or remote-coast routes, though not necessary for the main coastal highways.

Within cities, public transit is solid in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and Melbourne's tram network in particular makes a car unnecessary for most visits. Long-distance trains exist (including the famous Ghan, from Adelaide to Darwin, and the Indian Pacific, from Sydney to Perth) but are scenic journeys in their own right rather than a practical way to cover the country quickly.

Australia is the world's smallest continent and sixth-largest country, dominated by a vast, arid interior known as the Outback that covers most of the continent's landmass. The great majority of the population lives in a narrow band along the eastern and southeastern coast, from Cairns down through Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, where the climate is far milder than the interior.

The Great Dividing Range, Australia's longest mountain chain, runs the length of the east coast, separating the fertile coastal strip from the dry interior. Beyond it, the landscape flattens into the vast red-earth deserts and scrublands most associated with the Outback, home to landmarks like Uluru and the MacDonnell Ranges.

Offshore, the Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,300 kilometers along the Queensland coast, the largest coral reef system on Earth and visible even from space, while the island state of Tasmania, separated from the mainland by the Bass Strait, adds a cooler, more rugged and heavily forested landscape distinct from the rest of the country.

Australia's size means it spans multiple climate zones at once, and being in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons run opposite to Europe and North America -- summer falls in December-February, winter in June-August.

The tropical north, including Darwin and Cairns, has a wet/dry climate rather than four seasons -- hot and humid year-round, with a monsoonal wet season (November-April) bringing heavy rain and occasional cyclones, and a dry season (May-October) that's clear, warmer, and far more comfortable for travel.

The southeast, including Sydney and Melbourne, has a temperate climate with genuine seasonal variation, while the interior Outback is arid and extreme -- scorching by day, often surprisingly cold by night, with summer temperatures that can exceed 45°C (113°F). Tasmania, farthest south, is the coolest part of the country, with a climate closer to parts of the UK than the rest of Australia.